The present invention relates to digital cameras that are most typically connected to a host computer. Such cameras have been used to send images over the internet to a web page hosted at a web site for other clients to access the web site via a browser and view the images captured by the camera and displayed at the web site. Such digital cameras when connected to a web site are commonly known as web cams. More particularly, the present invention is directed towards web cams.
Surfing the web has become quite common, and most surfers can easily discover thousands of different cameras pointing to beaches, gardens, offices, parking lots, homes, pets, and other web surfers. Examples of such cameras are the QuickCam® line of cameras manufactured by Logitech, Inc. These cameras provide for the broadcasting of live video over the web, live video calls and more. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical prior art web cam setup 100. As shown in this figure, a digital camera 102 is connected to a user's computer 104. The user's computer 104 is loaded with the web cam software (not shown) which is used to capture images and prepare them for incorporation in a web page. The user's computer 104 is connected via an internet connection 106 to a server computer 108. The server computer 108 hosts a web page 110, and the web page 110 has the image 112 captured by the camera 102 incorporated therein. The web cam software handles the image capturing and periodic loading of the captured images to the web page or site 110. A client 116 desiring to view the web site 110 connects through an internet connection 114 to the server 108 to view the web page 110. A common feature of all web cams is that a web cam mounted to view a user cannot be quickly aimed at other scenes when the user does not want to be seen on the web. Simply masking the web cam or aiming it to avoid the user would make unpleasant images on the web, defeating the purpose of the web cam as a mode of communication.
It is desirable to improve digital cameras used to set up web cams so that they could easily switch from their normal “view” mode to another non-displaying mode, while not turning them off, or physically blocking their lenses.